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The differences between legal specialists and litigation paralegals can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a legal specialist, becoming a litigation paralegal takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a litigation paralegal has an average salary of $58,484, which is higher than the $55,253 average annual salary of a legal specialist.
The top three skills for a legal specialist include legal support, legal research and proofreading. The most important skills for a litigation paralegal are litigation, law firm, and trial preparation.
| Legal Specialist | Litigation Paralegal | |
| Yearly salary | $55,253 | $58,484 |
| Hourly rate | $26.56 | $28.12 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 6,517 | 5,132 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
A legal specialist is responsible for supporting an organization's legal department or law office by performing administrative duties to assist legal operations. Legal specialists are the clients' first point-of-contact, especially on scheduling appointments and responding to legal services inquiries and concerns. They also organize legal documents, prepare and write contracts, and help legal professionals with collecting information for their cases. A legal specialist must have comprehensive knowledge of the legal industry, including law processes and federal regulations.
A litigation paralegal is a specialist who is responsible for assisting attorneys throughout the trial process. On the plaintiff side, litigation paralegals conduct initial client interviews and legal research for case preparations. They assist with the preliminary examinations of witnesses and jury selection in the courtroom. Litigation paralegals often assist attorneys with case settlements and help identify issues for appeals. They must also possess excellent skills in verbal and written communication and should have great attention in detail.
Legal specialists and litigation paralegals have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Legal Specialist | Litigation Paralegal | |
| Average salary | $55,253 | $58,484 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $98,000 | Between $40,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Orrick | |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between a legal specialist and a litigation paralegal in terms of educational background:
| Legal Specialist | Litigation Paralegal | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Business | Legal Support Services |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between legal specialists' and litigation paralegals' demographics:
| Legal Specialist | Litigation Paralegal | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 32.5% Female, 67.5% | Male, 24.4% Female, 75.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 20.3% Asian, 5.7% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 9% |